Tidewater Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 9, 2012

NORFOLK, Va. – Christopher Roy Barber, 35, of Smithfield, Va., was sentenced late yesterday in Norfolk federal court to 20 years in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Barber was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis. Barber previously pled guilty to these charges on January 31, 2012.

According to court documents, beginning with the arrest of a cooperator in March 2010, Barber was identified as a supplier of cocaine. Barber was again identified by sources located in Chicago, as the source of supply for cocaine in late 2010. The confidential sources were interviewed and utilized to purchase quantities of cocaine from Barber. The confidential sources agreed to be outfitted with audio recording devicesto monitor conversations and transactions and by making and/or receiving calls from Barber. Agents were then able to focus on Barber’s cellular telephone communications to identify his cocaine source of supply. Over the course of the investigation, agents identified 13 different cellular telephone numbers that were being utilized by Barber.

As a result of the communications intercepted, law enforcement learned that Barber’s source of supply was a Mexican National identified as Fabian Beltran-Lopez, who was arrested along with Barber on January 2012, and is scheduled for trial next October.

Federal search warrants executed on January 10, 2012, resulted in the recovery of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, two firearms, $132,458 U.S. currency and several pieces of expensive jewelry from Christopher Barber. The conspiracy has resulted in the distribution of hundreds of kilos of cocaine in the Eastern District of Virginia since 2009.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Norfolk Resident Office. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Marie Everhart is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.